832.24/11–2444
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Randolph Harrison of the Division of Brazilian Affairs
| Participants: | Mr. Armour, ARA19 |
| Mr. McGurk, ARA20 | |
| Mr. Harrison, BA |
The Brazilian Ambassador inquired concerning the status of Brazil’s request for trucks and buses; gasoline shipments; and coal shipments. In connection with coal, the Ambassador said he had received instructions from President Vargas just before the Ambassador’s [Page 596] departure from Brazil, to try urgently to obtain an increase in coal shipments to a total of 130,000 tons a month.
Mr. Harrison explained to the Ambassador the difficulties the Department was encountering in getting final approval for the allotment of the requested number of trucks and buses for Brazil, but that we were doing everything possible to satisfy Brazil’s needs. He was also told that the shipments of gasoline appeared to be going forward satisfactorily at present so that Brazil’s full quota, plus arrears, would be taken care of before the end of the year. With regard to coal, the Ambassador was informed that we expected to ship 70,000 tons during the month of November and that we were trying to get the amount increased to 90,000 tons for next month. It was emphasized that the heavy demands being made on United States shipping, by the European and Pacific offensives, made it impossible to obtain definite commitments for other areas.
The Ambassador said that he himself understood the difficulties that the Department was up against in this matter, but that he had found it impossible to give convincing explanations to his Government, which seemed to feel that he himself was somehow at fault. The Ambassador suggested in this connection that it might be well to have the Brazilian Minister of Transportation come to the United States to get a first-hand picture of the situation here. The Ambassador was told that the Department, of course, would welcome a visit from the Brazilian Minister of Transportation, but that it would like to have the opportunity first to consult the other agencies of the Government that would wish to see the Minister, with a view to ascertaining when such a visit would be most opportune.
The Ambassador also took up the question of purchase by the Brazilian Maritime Commission of two old tankers from the Union Oil Company. The Ambassador said that he was under urgent instructions to try to obtain the transfer of these tankers to Brazilian registry before the end of the current month. The Ambassador was told that the Department was lending its support to the Brazilian request, which was under consideration by the War Shipping Administration.